Ukraine

In Ukraine, around 79% of people live in privately owned housing, while approximately 14% rent from private individuals; only about 4% occupy state, municipal, or employer-provided housing, with or without paying rent. This marks a notable shift from 2021, when homeownership was about 95% and private renting 5%, indicating accelerated growth in the rental sector due to socio-economic pressures.

The most recent median purchase price for an apartment nationwide is about 1,200 euros per square meter, with Kyiv and Lviv slightly above this average. Median long-term rents for a two-bedroom apartment average 5,020 euros per year, translating to roughly 9–11 euros per square meter per month. These figures vary widely by region, with the western cities showing higher prices following wartime migration.

Publicly owned housing, including both traditional public housing and social housing, plays a very minor role, representing less than 5% of the residential stock. Social housing, as being developed in new reforms, is targeted specifically for those in need and aims to be affordable, prioritizing vulnerable or specific groups. Public housing can include service or old municipal housing stock not means-tested, whereas social housing is allocated on the basis of need and policy objectives. Both are quite limited in scale and do not significantly influence the broader housing market today. Reforms are underway to introduce more effective social rental options, but as of late 2025, these remain nascent.

Ukraine faces a severe housing crisis due to the ongoing war, with more than 2 million homes damaged or destroyed—about 10% of the total housing stock. As of late 2025, around 4.6 million Ukrainians are internally displaced, and 6.2 million have fled abroad since the escalation of the conflict. Over 1.3 million families have lost their homes, and as many as 4.5 million people returning find their former residences uninhabitable. Demand for housing in safer western regions has driven up real estate and rental prices sharply, making both purchasing and renting unaffordable for many, especially in Kyiv and Lviv.

Affordability is a major issue: 42% of households spend over 30% of their income on housing, and about 44% must cut spending on food or clothing to afford either rent or mortgage payments. Internally displaced persons (IDPs), low-income households, women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities are most affected. IDPs particularly struggle: 90–95% rent unofficially and remain vulnerable to eviction or exploitation. Only a minuscule portion of those in need—such as IDPs—have received social housing, with fewer than 40 units allocated nationwide in recent years. Income declines, inflation, and currency devaluation further exacerbate the situation, leaving millions without access to decent or secure accommodation.

Ukraine’s government is developing a new State Housing Policy Strategy to overhaul its approach to affordable and sustainable housing. This Strategy, coordinated with international partners like UNECE and the World Bank, aims to address urgent needs created by war damage and displacement, while establishing a transparent, financially viable, and inclusive long-term housing system. Key targets include increasing accessibility through an expanded and regulated rental market, launching fair mortgage and credit schemes, and clearly prioritizing support for veterans, IDPs, large families, and youth.

Concrete national activities and programs include:

• The relaunch and upscaling of the Energy Efficiency Fund with programs like VidnovyDIM, Energodim, and Grindim, backed by 3.1 billion Ukrainian hryvnia (about €77.5 million) planned funding in 2026, to co-finance apartment modernization and promote sustainability.
• Social housing and rental reforms, with legislative changes proposed (notably Draft Law No. 12377), a planned €650 million for "eRecovery" digital housing claims, €450 million targeted to IDPs and affected groups, and establishment of a Social Housing Fund.
• Transitional housing and host family support, plus rapid repair and community-driven rehabilitation for damaged homes, guided by organizations such as Habitat for Humanity International, working alongside Ukrainian institutions to deliver both immediate crisis relief and durable affordable housing solutions.

Systemic reforms also focus on creating a National Housing Agency, strengthening local authorities' capacity, inventorying housing stock, and implementing EU-aligned standards to ensure long-term sustainability.

Housing cooperatives in Ukraine represent a very small segment of the residential sector, with cooperative housing accounting for less than 5% of all housing units nationwide. This presence is minimal compared to private ownership, which overwhelmingly dominates, and has not shown significant growth in recent years. Historically, cooperative housing emerged in Soviet times but today sees little development, lacking large-scale new construction or policy emphasis. Its share has remained stagnant, with most cooperative housing stock being older buildings, some operating as mutual homeownership initiatives but few active new cooperatives.

Recent policy reforms focus on modernizing the broader housing market and increasing affordable options rather than specifically expanding cooperatives. Key national measures include the adoption of the Law “On the Basic Housing Policy Framework,” which promotes public-private partnerships, sustainable rental housing, and social rental funds, alongside digitalization of housing administration. Notable programs such as eOselia (state mortgage), VidnovyDIM (energy efficiency upgrades), and initiatives by the Social Housing Fund and international partners like the World Bank, UNECE, and IOM center on rental assistance, energy-efficient renovations, and rapid provision of modular housing for displaced persons. While these policies support affordable and community-based housing, none prioritize housing cooperatives specifically. Current dynamics point to growth mainly in private sector development, with the cooperative segment remaining marginal.